Improvement in stave-machines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. WINFIELD AND WILLIAM S. OOLWELL, OF IITTSBURG, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN STAVE-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 53,211, dated March 13,1866.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN R. WINEIELD andWILLIAM S. CoLwELL, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and Stateot' Pennsyl- Vania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSteve-Dressing Machines; and we hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of our invention, reference being hadto the accompanyin g drawings, forming part of this specification, andto the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of our invention consists in inaking the bars that strengthenand support the knives concave on the front, or that ypart nearY theedge of the knives, for the purpose of causing the shavings to curl andobviate the tendency to eat in77 and thereby sliver or split the boltduring the operation of shaping the stave.

Another part ot' our invention consists in constructing or furnishingtheforcing-bar with a revolving head, to take the friction off the endof the bolt and allow irregular or twisted stuff77 to list7 and followthe grain of the wood during its passage between the knives.

We also make the guide-box that supports and carries the forcing-baradjustable, so as to give direction to the bolt and cause it to press orbear hardest against either knife, as the nature and size of the woodmay require.

To enable others to understand and make our improvements, we willproceed to describe their construction by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of ourstave-dressingmachine. Fig. 2 is a transverse longitudinal section ofthe same. Fig. 3 represents alongitudinal section ofthe knives andsupporting-bars. Fig/iis across-section enlarged. Fig. 5 is intended torepresent a vertical transverse section of the guide-box andforcing-bar, showing the plan of adjustment.

All the drawings are lettered, and similar letters denote correspondingparts in the several views.

We construct our machine for dressing staves by making aframe of wood orany suitable material, at one end of which are attached, by bolts orotherwise, two curved knives, S S, standing vertically, and so arrangedwith ret'- erence to each other as to leave an open space, T, betweenthem the thickness of the required stave. These knives S S are set at aslight angle, or so that the edges are nearer each other than the backs,to prevent binding of the wood in its forced passage through the space.

One part of our invention consists in attaching by bolts two strongcast-iron bars, P I), to the outside of these knives S S, curved to fitthereto, and making each bar with a concave face, It, next the edge ofthe knives S S, for the purpose of causing the shavings, as they strikeagainst the concave of the bars P P, to take a backward motion and curl,whereby they are less liable to eat in and sliver or split the stavethan when allowed to pass ot'f in a straight line. Wealso furnishtheforoingbarD, or that partof the mechanism that drives the woodthrough the space between the knives, with a metallic revolving head, N,attached thereto by a pivot, O, which, as the pressure is broughtagainst the bolt of wood, takes the friction off the end by turning,which allows the wood to list and follow the grain, whereby we areenabled to make staves of crooked or twisted stuff, which cannot be donewhere the bolt in turning has to overcome the friction against its end.

Another improvement we have made consists in making the guide-box Aadjustable; and this we accomplish by pivoting the guideboX A to theframe B, upon which it rests, at that part farthest from the knives, andattaching to the under side ot' said box, at the other end, a coggedrack, L, the teeth ot' which mesh into an endless screw, E, supported bya shaft, F, passing through theI frame B. On one end of this shaft is asmall crank, H, by which the the operator is enabled to shift the box Ato either side of the frame B, and thereby cause the wood to bearagainst either knife necessary to economize the stuff.

We claim- 1. Constructing the forcing-bar D with a revolving head, N,for taking the friction oft' the end of the bolt during the operationot' forcing it through the space between the knives, as herein setforth. .f

2. In making the guide-boXA that supports and carries the forcing-bar Dadjustable, so as to give direction to the bolt and cause it to press orbear hardest against either knife, as the nature and size of the woodmay require.

JOHN It. VVINFIELD. VILLIAM S. OOLWELL.

Witnesses:

JosIAH W. ELLs, C. S. AMMOND.

